Used Aircraft Prices Predicted to Hold Steady in 2026 — Here’s Why That Matters

A look at early 2026 pre-owned aircraft market trends, from an appraiser’s perspective.

If you follow the used aircraft market, you may have noticed something a bit unusual lately: the market seems to be settling down. After years of unprecedented volatility driven by pandemic fallout, supply chain issues, and surging demand, more familiar market forces—like inventory levels and interest rates—are reasserting themselves. Early 2026 data is confirming what I’ve anticipated: a return to greater stability in used aircraft values.

As an aircraft appraiser, considerable time is spent reading industry data to understand what trends and influences will, and are affecting the used aircraft market.  I look at what factors might influence lenders, brokers, buyers, and sellers. While poring through forums, what I look for are indicators of increasing or decreasing exposure times. If ‘exposure time’ isn’t a familiar term, here’s the standard definition most appraisers (myself included) rely on, straight from the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP, 2024 edition):  ‘The estimated length of time that the property interest being appraised would have been offered on the market prior to the hypothetical consummation of a sale at market value on the effective date of the appraisal.’

Often, the largest predictor of a market is the exposure time. So what is market exposure time telling us, right now? The same thing as in recent quarters. Lengthening exposure times and failed transactions indicate a softening of the market. So market factors have been showing all signs of a price correction to most aircraft markets for a few years now, but for some reason, prices haven’t measurably fallen. Read on to see what I believe explains this phenomenon.

Fewer Used Aircraft Are Available—And That’s Propping Up Values

The biggest story in the pre-owned aircraft market right now is a simple one: there are fewer planes for sale. According to Sandhills Global, a firm that tracks used equipment markets across multiple industries, global used turboprop inventory dropped 11.78% compared to a year ago. Used piston-single aircraft—the kind most private pilots fly—fell an even more dramatic 22.39% year-over-year as of January 2026. Used jets saw a 14.6% year-over-year decline in inventory over the same period, but the turboprop and jet markets are very different from piston singles due to the aging of inventory.

These are significant reductions in supply. And when supply shrinks without a matching drop in demand, prices tend to hold or rise. That’s exactly what we’re seeing. Asking prices for used piston singles are essentially flat—down less than 1% over the past year—while turboprop and jet asking prices have dipped modestly. The market is tightening, but it hasn’t tipped into a price-correcting frenzy. Think of it as a slow squeeze rather than a spike. So why the resilience despite those lengthening exposure times and some failed deals? The answer boils down to one dominant factor: sharply reduced inventory across the board.

Why are fewer planes available? Part of the answer lies with the manufacturers. Buyers who want brand-new aircraft are often waiting in long backlogs, which means people who need a plane now are shopping the used market. That demand keeps pre-owned inventory moving off the market faster than new supply replaces it. The biggest reason, though, that fewer aircraft are still viable in the market, is lower insurance and replacement parts costs plus instant availability.

New Aircraft Sales Are Up—But That Doesn’t Hurt the Used Market

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released its 2025 annual shipment and billing report on February 18, 2026, and the headline numbers are impressive. A total of 3,230 airplanes were delivered in 2025, up 2.2% from the year before. Business jet deliveries jumped 11.8% to 854 aircraft. Piston singles edged up slightly to 1,782 units. Total billing for airplanes hit $31 billion—up 16.1%—and when you include helicopters, the industry’s total preliminary delivery value reached $35.7 billion, the highest ever recorded by GAMA. Promising and noteworthy for a new generation.

Here’s the key nuance: booming new sales don’t flood the used market overnight. Many of those deliveries fulfill backlogs from orders placed years ago, so owners aren’t immediately trading in or upgrading en masse. In fact, the slight dip in new turboprop deliveries (down 5.1% to 594 units) actually keeps more buyers shopping the pre-owned segment. In fact, one segment—turboprops—actually saw a dip in new deliveries, down 5.1% to 594 units in 2025. Fewer new turboprops rolling off production lines means buyers looking for that type of aircraft are more likely to compete for used ones.

What This Means If You Own a Legacy Aircraft

For aircraft owners, the current environment is broadly favorable—but with some notable nuances. If your airplane is well-maintained, has good documentation, and is configured appropriately for a mission in demand, you’re in a good position. Tight inventory means buyers have fewer options, and a quality aircraft will attract attention. In previous articles addressing MOSAIC, I’ve discussed the importance of good (legal) maintenance and records as critical to retaining aircraft value in lower-demand markets.

That said, this isn’t the frenzied seller’s market of 2021 and early 2022. Prices aren’t skyrocketing. Buyers are still price-sensitive, especially as interest rates remain a consideration for financed purchases. If you’re thinking about selling, the advice from an appraiser’s standpoint is straightforward: get a current appraisal, price accurately based on recent comparables, and don’t expect a bidding war—but do expect a fair return. Competent marketing is always a strong factor in exposure time.

If you’re shopping to buy, this period of relative stability (and affordability in some segments) might be short-lived. With inventory continuing to trend downward and demand holding steady, I expect values to firm up and potentially escalate within the next 18–24 months—barring major economic or geopolitical disruptions. Inventory is trending down across all segments, and if demand stays consistent, prices could firm up further as the year progresses. A well-maintained used aircraft in today’s market is arguably a better value than it will be twelve months from now—assuming no major economic disruptions. Well-maintained, insurable aircraft will continue to command a premium. Conversely, models with high maintenance costs, long parts lead times, or insurance challenges are seeing values drop sharply—sometimes to the point where they’re hard to move at any price. (Remember the Beechcraft Duke? Good luck giving one away these days without deep discounts.)

The Bigger Picture: A Market Finding Its Balance

Forecasting firm Jetcraft projects over 10,000 pre-owned business jet transactions over the next five years, generating tens of billions in revenue. Their data—drawn from their most recently published forecast report—points to continued strong transactional activity across the premium end of the market. The GA piston market may as well ignore this forecast. Still, overall, most forecasters agree that across all segments, the market narrative for 2026 is one of stabilization.

The volatility of recent years is easing. While supply is tightening, demand is steady. And new production, while growing in some areas, hasn’t flooded the used market with surplus inventory, yet.

In the end, the aircraft market—like any niche asset class—rewards informed decisions and reliance on solid data. Whether for financing, estate planning, or a potential sale, working with unbiased professionals delivers the most reliable value opinions. And yes, that often means looking beyond a broker’s perspective to an independent appraisal.

Sources

GAMA 2025 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report (February 18, 2026) | Sandhills Global Pre-Owned Aircraft Market Report (February 4–5, 2026) | AOPA, “Aircraft Market Steady in 2025” (February 19, 2026) | AVweb, “GAMA: Business Jets, Pistons Drive GA Growth in 2025” (February 18, 2026) | Jetcraft 2026 Pre-owned Business Jet Market Forecast | Private Jet Card Comparisons (January 26, 2026) | The Appraisal Foundation. (2024). Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) (2024 ed.). Washington, DC: The Appraisal Foundation.